1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to relates to a bath lift seat arrangement to assist elderly and disabled persons while transferring into or out of a bathtub, and specifically, to help lower a person down into a bathtub for a full immersion bath, and then following the bath to lift the person up to a height higher than the edge of the bathtub.
2. Description of Prior Art
Entering and exiting from a typical bathtub may be a difficult process for some elderly or disabled persons. Particularly, rising up from a seated position down within a bathtub requires considerable strength, balance and range of motion which may be limited in some by a disability or effects of aging.
However, one solution is to provide a seating surface onto which the bather may sit, whereby the seating surface may be lowered and elevated by powered means, leaving the user with the lesser tasks of managing to transfer on to and off of the seating surface to take a full immersion bath. This function has been presented in prior art devices which are popularly referred to as bath lifts.
While various bath lift devices have been available in the prior art, these bath lifts suffer from several shortcomings relating to performance, weight and cost. Most of the prior art devices are cumbersome and heavy to lift due to large frame structures making it difficult for other bathtub users to remove the device from the bathtub when not needed. Some prior art devices have water powered type linear actuators employing rubber type sliding seals that tend to wear out, leak, or stick when allowed to run dry for a period of time. Further, many existing art bath lift seats give the user an unstable feeling in the elevated seat position due to design limitations which permit considerable rocking motions of the seat. Additionally, the complex nature of many of the existing bath lifts result in a prohibitively high cost for many individuals who could otherwise benefit from a bath lift device.
A major complaint of existing art bath lift seats is that the horizontal portion of the seat surface is only able to lower to within three to four inches of the bath tub floor surface due to the lifting mechanisms, seat guides, and frame structure being located below the seat surface. This results in an incomplete immersion bathing experience for those persons who could most benefit from complete submersion bathing, and also results in a considerable amount of water wastage during the life of the bath lift device.
The present bath lift device is unique in that it addresses the well known shortcomings of the current bath lifts. The present bath lift features a simple design minimizing structure for light weight, and hence ease of lifting and moving. It is also extremely stable in its raised position due to the secure linear seat guidance system. Further, the design allows for an extremely low seat bottom height to allow the bather to sit within under one inch of the floor of the bathtub. The unique lifting bladders offer smooth lifting without the use of sliding type seals which are prone to leakage.
According to the present invention, the elevating bath lift seat comprises the following major assemblies: the base frame assembly, the seat frame assembly, the lift bladders, the control pendant, and the manifold assembly.
In operation, the seat frame assembly is supported by the base frame and is moved upward and downward guided by the mast tubes of the base frame powered by a pressurized fluid such as domestic water pressure applied to the lift bladders. The lift bladders extend and retract to move the seat surface upward and downward. The flow of water to the bladders is guided by the control pendant and distributed through the manifold assembly.
Other objects, features and versions of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, when interpreted with the listed drawings, together disclose a preferred embodiment of the invention. It is to be understood that the drawings are intended for the purpose of illustration only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.